Winter Life

Under boughs of evergreen
beneath cold dirt you'll find
little rooms in tidy nests
for critters of every kind.

Grey mice and squirrels; chipmunks, too,
seek shelter from winter's air
They burrow a furrow and line the end
with some of their soft, warm fur.

They venture out on warmish days
and skitter across the snow
to search for food and stretch their limbs...
then it's back to the evergreen boughs.

Winter Statue

Winter Statue

Eye lashes gathering

Cold nose breathing

Red cheeks feeling

Pink tongue catching

Swirling flakes of winter

Good Reading

Another poem is on the way but first, I wanted to share a blogging friends offer of a give-away. She writes very well and loves to make new friends; now having over 700 reading her blog! Check her out:

http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/2011/01/giveaway-just-because.html

It Finally Snowed

It wasn't a humdinger of a snow storm, but you could measure it! Six inches at last measure and it's still lightly snowing. The schools stayed open and the busses were only a little bit late this AM. No one has much trouble unless they are going too fast, have poor tires or have someone in front of them matching that same description.

I slid back down the driveway this AM; of course it was not plowed or sanded. I managed to get a running start and was able to quckly check traffic before sliding out into the road. That was it, though; the rest of the way into work today was easy. I forgot I had to be outside for bus duty in the afternoon, though .. and left my boots in the car! I survived.

I think I may make an apple pie tomorrow .... saw a picture of one on another blog and that did it for me.

About Amish: A January Deal... and a Question

About Amish: A January Deal... and a Question

Such an interesting woman and a great offer on her book. She's appearing throughout MA, VT and VA this winter/spring.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! We had a great New Year's Eve at the Glen Glade Country Store with old and new friends; sharing food and playing games. Managed to get home in time to watch the crystal ball drop in NYC to announce the end of the old and the beginning of the new. We updated our facebook statuses, kissed and went to bed. Woke up in the morning to the same dishes and what not ... boring by some people's standards but not to us :-)



Well, I told some people I was going to do it ... so here goes: Poetry time! (short and sweet)



Playing In Winter

Snowsuit stuffing
Huffing, puffing;
Boots too big for little feet

Mittened fingers;
Fuzz balls linger
at the tips where fingers meet

Scarf wrapped 'round;
Hat pulled down;
Two eyes, one nose now showing

All ready for
the opened door
to meet cold wind now blowing!

UhOh

UhOh ... I can't remember my last post! I'm sure it was before Christmas and I'm afraid I may have been whining :-( I was not feeling well for a while, but antibiotics have brought me around and I'm good to go! Good thing, too!

We had a very nice Christmas, with no baking done on my part (I rested a lot) but the tree got trimmed and the presents (bought through Amazon, mostly, 'cause I couldn't shop) were wrapped on time!

Christmas Eve found us at church with Bill and I along with two teens doing a comedic skit on travelers stranded on Christmas Eve (that told the Christmas story in a wonderfully funny way) and then singing in the choir's cantata. I'm so glad I was well enough to participate in all of it! We also had the Children's choir sing with us on a few numbers and they performed a couple of songs with hand bells. The brass ensemble started us off and the praise team finished us up with silent night, everyone holding a candle in the darkness. Praise be to God for His unspeakable gift!

Two days after Christmas, Bill and I headed for Lancaster Co with our 10 year old granddaughter to take in two presentations at Sight and Sound Theatre ... what a super time! She was quite taken by the performances and loved seeing the horses trot right up the aisle. I heard her actually exclaim "OH!" out loud when the first angel showed up in the air overhead during "Miracle of Christmas." ... She loved the music and prefered the CD of that show over "Voices of Christmas" which were familiar carols. She surprised me!

We ate a lot ... too much... at Millers and Hershey Farms but our favorite place was the Bird-in- Hand Bakery; too scrumptious to talk about here as I would drool on the keyboard!

Something new: Found many Amish riding on large wheeled scooters ... very intersting things that can move almost as fast as a bicycle since the wheels are larger than traditional scooters.

Stayed at the Sleep Inn in Ronks that borders on farmland ... perfect for this country girl!

Time for bed ...way too tired for typing and afraid my spelling may have suffered. I already checked to make sure my "wrapped presents" were indeed, wrapped and not warpped. Good night all ... have a safe New Year's Eve.

Where Does the Time Go?

Just when you think you have everything under control, the clock AND the calendar speed up! So much to do but I refuse to get stressed out :-) Years ago I caught on to the fact that cookie baking could take place AFTER Christmas, when the kids were home from school (and I was, too) and would enjoy them freshly baked from the oven. Computer generated address list/labels made doing my cards much easier and more fun ...no hand cramps. However, buying presents still took a lot of time ... til last year when I discovered Amazon!!!



These were just a few quick thoughts running around my head and thought I would share them. I would also like to share a link from an online blogging author who is offering a free copy of her book in a drawing. She has a very interesting, heartbreaking yet heart warming story to tell. I will enjoy reading her book whether I win or purchase it for myself! You can find her at http://aboutamish.blogspot.com/

"We're Havin' a Heat Wave ... a Tropical (well, not really....) Heat Wave"

Here me singing? I think Bing Crosby sang this ... It was a balmy 35 degrees here today which so SO much better than the 3 degrees I had yesterday morning!

I finally finished my outdoor decorating tonight ... I've been sidelined by a cold/layrngitis and with temps in the teens, decided the decorations could wait! I'm hoping for a little snow to brighten the lawn and then I'll take pictures.

An absolutely delicious Christmas Party tonight at the home of some friends from church. Everyone brings a dish to pass and there is always such an assortment of good things to eat. We brought Wasabi Peas ... pretty enough with red, green and white. Had a label made so no one just popped a few and got surprised :-) They were a hit with those who like hot/spicy/horseradish type things.

Did not get anything accomplished today ... overslept to begin with but Bill got up early to go hunting with a friend back in his hometown. We'll be eating venison this winter ... I can taste the steaks and gravy already!

Busy tomorrow with Church, Sunday School, birthday party for a little boy and then our choir will perform at the nursing home. We then go back to church for our play practice and then the evening service. Tired, already!

Snow Flurries!

It's been snowing all day but there's nothing to show for it. Lots of flurries, some of the flakes quite huge, have been cascading past my windows but appear to be blowing into the next county! I love the snow but hate the cold. Isn't that quite a combination? It's pretty hard to have one without the other, but all I ask is that God hold back the frigid temps and the wind! Please!

I still have to finish my outdoor decorations (just a bit) and our front yard will look very festive. I'll post a picture when it's ready.

Right now, I'm battling my first cold of the season (Zicam works great) and feel pretty good... good thing, too... I'm about to go help with the children at Bible Club. I take them into the gym to play dodge ball, tag ..etc. You know, quiet games :-) I'm sure I'll lose my voice but get it back in time for substitute teaching tomorrow!

My blogging friend has another cool giveway! http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/

Busy, Busy, Busy

This AM Mom Pitcher called to see if I would like to have lunch with her, Dad and Aunt Doris ... oh, yeah! What a great day! We met at Michael's, a very nice restaurant around the corner from The Red Lion Inn and enjoyed eating, talking, talking and talking! Amazing how fast the time went by ... but it did and we had to say our goodbyes. Aunt Doris will be leaving this week to spend the winter in California .. a much nice climate for her to spend the winter in. Her family lives there and she is sure to have a great time! God speed, Aunt Doris, and we'll see you in the spring!

A crisp, cold night here in NY and we spent some time in a live Nativity for the village of Northville :-) It's one of the few towns left that encourage this type of participation .. of course, it helps to have a Christian on the board for the Association! It's more of a "tableau" where we are "frozen in time" at the stable and not really acting. But it's fun to listen to parents as they explain to their children who all the characters are. Not quite in keeping with the Biblical account, we also have 3 wise men at the stable, though they really appeared later, after they saw the star and traveled "to the house" where the young child was. But nevertheless, I was a shepherd, Bill was a wiseguy and we managed to stifle our shivering for 30 minutes!

We were able to warm up by the bonfire afterwards with some hot cocoa and cookies but didn't stick around long enough to watch them turn the lights on the Christmas tree. The best pizza in town was calling me ... we enjoyed eating and then wandered back to where we parked our car at our church. A delightful evening.

Thankfulness (never ends)

So thankful we have things to be thankful for! Our tummies are still full from breakfast, dinner and dessert :-) Many thinks to Chris and Kristen for such a variety of pies and a welcome into their new home! We've had some snow flurries and even enough to cover the ground so we could wake up this AM to a blanket of white .. even thankful for that! It was so pretty.

Wanted to mention that one of my favorite bloggers has another book giveaway! http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/

Thankfulness (cont'd, still)

My thoughts on thankfulness continues with friendship and all we share with each other. Joys and triumphs. Saddness and sorrows. Sometimes your friends are closer than family and that's not a bad thing, really! Here are a few ideas on friendship:

1. Never gossip about your friends. EVER.
2. Walk away when someone else starts to gossip .. about anybody! You can let them know why you walked away, later.
3. Make lots of friends ...younger ones, so that when you get older, you won't be the one saying "Goodbye."
4. Pray for them, often. Don't wait to be asked .. you already know most of their needs, anyway.
5. Call them if you haven't seen them in awhile ... keep in touch via phone, mail, email and social networks. There's really no excuse.
6. Send them Christmas cards. They aren't expensive and it is still fun to get stuff in the mail addressed personally.
7. It's ok to be friends with your adult kids, but let them have their own friends. You can be friendly with them but from a distance. The reverse is also true.
8. Friendship is cultivated ... like a flower garden. Friendships don't grow over night. Acquaintances, do; friends do not.
9. Some friends can be dropped in on; some friends can't. Be a good friend and figure this out.
10. Don't be afraid to say "No" to a friend. If you are too busy, too tired, too 'whatever', your friend will understand. If they don't, then perhaps they are only an acquaintance.

Thankfulness (cont'd, again)

Oh, how I love my family! I am so thankful for the parents I had, my brothers and sister. But I am most thankful for my husband and children God gave me. They are my present and will be my future, as well!

My darling sons who married my daughters-in-love give me wonderful things to think and pray about each day. My two granddaughters of sweetness fill my days with pleasant thoughts and plans for future fun. But it's my husband of 36 years who absolutely thrills my heart. Chosen for me and arriving on my doorstep "by chance" one afternoon ... I am SO glad I listened to that still, small voice of God!

We do so much together. I remember listening to the laments of some people who have retired and can't stand to spend so much time together and I can assure you, we do not have that problem! We are both semi retired and can't find free time anywhere!! How did we ever manage when we worked "for real?" It will be fun growing old with him .. if we choose to grow old, that is ...

We love to cook and it would be fun to try some new recipes from this cookbook if I win it :-) Yes .. another giveaway from one of my favorite bloggers:
http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/

Thankfulness (cont'd)

There are so many things to be thankful for: My church family, who being far from perfect, is quick to pray and help out on a moment's notice; not because they have to, or it's expected but because they genuinely care for one another. There are some who come to church to "get something out of the sermon" but many come simply to worship with others of like faith.

We have a senior pastor that is so in tune with the things of God, desiring to serve, he can barely pull himself away from work, even if he is sick! I love his dedication. He is such an example for the rest of the flock. These same things can be said of our Associate Pastor, too! He is such a man of character. The two of them work well together.

The deacons and trustees are a trustworthy group of men, ready to act and quick to fix things that are troubling. We have deaconesses who serve the Lord so willingly and many have no clue what they even do! It was assumed I was a deaconess one day, and I was quick to say no (I'm not) but I was very flattered. It would be an honor but it should never be taken lightly. I would have to pray about it because there are duties that need to be done and a right heart with the right time needs to be present... not left over time given grudgingly after a busy day.

If you have church family like this, be sure to thank your leaders! If you DON'T have a church family like this ... maybe YOU are the one God's been waiting for! So, start something :-)

Indian Summer and Thankfulness

We have had 2 days of 50+ degrees and SUNSHINE! I didn't get much done the first day, but today I managed to clean out the car; trim 3 small trees, two lilac bushes, and cut down the goldenrod that grew along the side of the garage (it was pretty when it was yellow ... but it isn't yellow any longer!) I raked out the flower beds, transplanted 5 pots of chrysanthemums and had my hands so dirty, I was not able to ge them clean when by the time we went to prayer meeting! I have garden gloves... can't stand to wear them.

We also put a pump in the water that has collected on the cover of the pool. We've had so much rain, that the sides of the cover were almost slipping over the edge of the pool! We have 3 pillows in it, too. I'm hoping we can switch to snow, which will blow off more quickly than water can evaporate :-)

Getting my thoughts together for Thanksgiving; thinking of cooking a small dinner this year as we are not sure who will be here. We always have a big breakfast and that seems to be a big hit. Here's my thought: Big breakfast, small dinner, Big dessert. If they come, they can eat if they don't, there's always leftovers!

Things I'm thankful for: First and foremost, my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and His saving grace! My husband, helpmeet, soulmate, chosen and delivered by God himself to my front door 37 years ago! Long story ... quite comical, I may share it some day. My children and their families.

Thankfulness to be cont'd ...

First Snow

The first snow is always exciting, and though it did not really accumulate on the ground, it was certainly pretty as it fell! It would be a lot prettier if it had not been accompanied by sleet and rain, first! The roads were not too bad, so I traveled a bit to have supper with Bill; ham and potaoto soup and a ham sandwich on walnut bread :-) Delicious! Bill was working for the Sheriff's dept. though and was kept busy investigation accidents most of the afternoon and evening. He finally got to the country store where I had finished my supper, but he got to enjoy his.

I really need to make my own soups; It's not like I have to go to work every day! The first on my list is Hamburg Chowder. I'll make enough to freeze some, too. I'm going to try a beef stew and freeze that, too. It's soup/stew weather. Snow flakes and all ...

Another great give-a-away from one of my favorite bloggers, Mary Ann from: http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway.html If my name comes up in her ranodm drawing, I will definitely enjoy reading this book! I love pioneer type stories and since this pioneer woman and her family was friends with Mary Ann's grandmother, well, that just makes it even more special!

Which is Worse .. Halloween or the Elections?

Halloween, with it's very un Christian practices has come and gone. If it were just a children's fun thing to do .. gathering candy while wearing costumes, it would be ok; but it isn't. Nuff said.

The "mid-term" elections are almost here. I can not tell you how grateful I will be when it's over. The phone calls, the nasty ads on TV, the stuff in my mail box ... I am so discouraged by politics, especially this year in the great state of NY. I don't want to vote for governor because I do not like anyone running .. and there are 7 of them!! I could complain but ....

Our pastor gave a one liner just before our prayer time this past Sunday that felt like a special little slap ... I can't quote him, but basicaly he said: 'Our God is in control, regarless of who wins these elections ... therefore there is no need for you to be pessimistic...."

We love our pastor! I wish he would run for governor ... he's honest, intelligent, genuinely loves all people. He hates sin, spells out salvation to all who will listen, believes the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and preaches to this effect. Of course, if became governor, he would no longer be our pastor .. so I won't push the issue :)

Thinking of the Reformation era martyrs on this November 1st. Quite a rough road for those who believed as I do now, back in the 1500 and 1600's. For some the road led to certain death, but this was not unnoticed by our God.

My pretty little maple tree in the front yard is still pretty. The last to turn color, I get to keep it right into November or unitl the first killing frost. I should post a picture .. let's see if I have one....NOPE! I'll have to change that.

Time to catch up on some favorite blogs .. catch you later!

October Glory

The wind and rain have swept most of our beautiful leaves from the trees and on into the next county ... I do not remember such a windy, rainy autumn before. However, there is one tree whose leaves are intact! Our "October Glory" maple tree in the front yard. We've had it for about 6 years and is just now beginning to look like a "real" tree. We'll be old before it is big enough to be called a shade tree but that's ok. I love to look at the leaves in November when all the others are gone. We have bird feeder in it, now ... actually found a branch strong enough to hold one ... and the birds figured it out in no time flat!

Been enjoying something a little different on the internet: A blog written by a former Amish woman who is still just a conservative, country, Christian girl with a darling family. She has a very interesting story .. a GREAT memory of her plain life growing up and tells it well. She occasionally has giveaways and here is one of them. I think she enjoys autumn just as much as I do! http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/2010/10/time-for-giveaway.html

Ta Dahhhh!!! Fall ....

Hey! What happened to summer? My tomato plants are asking the same thing. They sit there with green tomatoes ... My corn is almost ready to be picked which seems a bit late but I had to plant it three times .. once because of temps and twice more because of birds! They didn't like the balloons that hung out there this last time :-)

Grandview Mini Golf was our busy spot this summer, having taken it over from our son and daughter-in-love. Friends own it but lease it to the Pitchers each year .. at least one more year, I think then they may be ready to run it themselves. They're quite busy with several other investments and enjoy having us in charge up there. One less thing for them to worry about.

Sacandaga Bible Conference was my other place of "employment" this summer :-) Actually I volunteered there as their arts and crafts director. Fun stuff with, at one time, 34 kids at 3 picnic tables! It could have been worse ... it could have rained! They brought mne another table! WHEW! Looking forward already to next year ... great couselors/staff and great kids, too!

But summer is over and after a few weeks of "me" time, I will be back to subbing in the school districts. I really enjoy this ... two or three times a week and ther rest of the week is mine! Bill does the same thing with the Sherrif's dept.

With all this time on our hands, you'd think the housework/landscape work would be done! HA!

We are planning our annual "Last Vestiges of Summer" vacation to Ocean Ctiy NJ in a few weeks ... Ahhhhhh!!!!!!

Right now, as I type, Bill and a friend are on the first part of their "New England Road Trip." Bill has a new motorcycle .. Harely Davidson Road King that replaces the one he wrecked earlier this summer. He was only slightly injured and the other motorcylist he hit was ok .. both bikes totaled, though. Thankful for the lessons learned.

That's about it ... see you all when it's winter. Ta Dahhhh!!! ... just about that fast, too!